1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for securing electronic devices into notebooks. Particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus for releasably securing a hand-held electronic device to the rings of a binder-type notebook. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus for securing a hand-held electronic device within the notebook of a time management or other planning-type organizer system.
2. Background of Related Art
Due to the ever-decreasing size of electronic devices and the ever-increasing use of notebooks which include time management or other planning systems, various apparatus have been developed to make small electronic devices, such as calculators, readily accessible to the users of such notebooks and in conjunction with information contained within the notebook.
Some of these apparatus secure a calculator to the rings of binder-type notebooks. These apparatus typically include integral calculators and small, circular apertures disposed along an edge thereof to facilitate securing of the apparatus to the rings of a binder. Since the calculators are an integral part of each of these apparatus, they may not be removed therefrom. Thus, the calculators of these apparatus cannot be accessed concurrently with information from any pages of the notebook that are not adjacent to these apparatus. Moreover, such apparatus may not be employed to secure more than one type of electronic device to a notebook. The small, circular apertures of these apparatus are also somewhat undesirable, as they may only be used in notebooks with specific numbers of rings that are laterally spaced apart discrete distances from one another. Apparatus exemplary of this configuration are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 345,757 ("the '757 patent"), which issued to Webb et al. on Apr. 5, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 343,187 ("the '187 patent"), which issued to Webb et al. on Jan. 11, 1994; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,592 ("the '592 patent"), which issued to Bedol on May 11, 1993.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,632 ("the '632 patent"), which issued to York on Apr. 17, 1990, discloses a notebook-type computer that includes a housing that may be secured to the rings of a binder-type notebook. As with the calculators discussed above, the computer is integrated within the housing. Thus, the housing may not be used to secure other electronic devices to a notebook. The housing also includes small, circular apertures along the top of the computer for securing the electronic device to the rings of a binder-type notebook. Thus, the housing may only be secured to notebooks of a limited size and having a limited number of rings which are laterally-spaced discrete distances from one another.
An apparatus that may be employed to secure a variety of hand-held electronic devices within a variety of binder-type notebooks is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,256 ("the '256 patent"), which issued to Burton et al. on Jan. 28, 1997. The apparatus of the '256 patent is an insert that includes a flat member to which a hand-held electronic device, such as a calculator, may be secured by attaching one member of complementary hook and loop materials to the flat member and the other hook or loop material member to the back of the electronic device. The use of hook and loop materials to secure the electronic device to the flat member is, however, somewhat undesirable since, over time, the hook material tends to gather lint, which may reduce the affinity of the hook and loop materials for one another. Moreover, the mutual affinity with which the hook and loop materials secure the electronic device to the flat member may not be adequate to retain the electronic device on the flat member if the notebook that holds the insert is dropped.
Another insert for securing hand-held electronic devices into binder-type notebooks is marketed by Franklin Covey Co., the assignee of the present invention. That insert removably retains the electronic device by means of small, rigid tabs disposed about the edges of a receptacle thereof. These tabs insert into a seam or indentation along the periphery of the housing of the electronic device. Due to potential variations in the size of the seams of the electronic device relative to the tab thickness required to adequately retain the electronic device within the receptacle of the insert, the dimensional tolerances of that insert are undesirably small. The retaining tabs of that insert are further undesirable in that they will only accommodate electronic devices of a very specific size and shape incorporating a seam or other indentation of a specific size and in a specific location. Moreover, when the hand-held electronic device is disposed within that insert, communication with any external electronic equipment is precluded, due to obstruction of communication ports on the electronic device by the insert body.
Other apparatus secure calculators or other electronic devices to the rigid cover of a notebook or any other book by means of mounts, sleeves, or clamps. An exemplary apparatus of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,191 ("the '191 patent"), which issued to Gerver et al. on May 23, 1989. The apparatus of the '191 patent includes a sleeve that envelops a substantial portion of the rigid cover. A flap, which holds and exposes the display and keys of a calculator, is hingedly attached to the sleeve. The design of the device of the '191 patent is somewhat undesirable, however, in that the sleeve may slide along the rigid cover of the notebook and may, therefore, not adequately secure the calculator thereto. The sleeve may be further undesirable from an aesthetic standpoint, since it is exposed on the exterior of the rigid cover of a notebook or other book.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,301 ("the '301 patent"), which issued to Bianco on Aug. 3, 1993, discloses a binder which includes an apparatus for securing an electronic device, such as a calculator, thereto. The apparatus is permanently secured to the cover of the binder by a mounting bracket. A frame, which is secured to the mounting bracket by a hinge, is rotatably mounted to a slipcase, in which the electronic device may be removably disposed. This arrangement facilitates use of the calculator while the binder is closed or open, as well as access to pages that are bound to the rings of the binder. The design of the apparatus of the '301 patent is somewhat undesirable, however, in that the electronic device must be removed therefrom in order to communicate with any external devices, such as printers, computers, or other electronic devices. Moreover, the mounting bracket of the mechanism of the '301 patent is partially exposed to the exterior of the binder cover, making it somewhat undesirable from an aesthetic standpoint. Furthermore, since the apparatus is permanently mounted to the binder, it may not be removed from the binder when removal is desired or used in conjunction with another notebook.
Thus, an apparatus is needed for securing an electronic device to the retainer elements of loose-leaf support assemblies that securely, yet removably retains the electronic device, which is itself removable from the support assembly, and which facilitates communication between the electronic device and external equipment as the electronic device is retained by the support assembly. An apparatus is also needed which enables securement of electronic devices to a variety of support assemblies that have different numbers of retaining elements or retaining elements that are laterally spaced apart different distances from each other.